When I first heard about the Sennheiser Accentum True Wireless just over a month ago, I was a little surprised that the German audio brand had come up with yet another pair of wireless earbuds.
After all, it’s just launched its flagship Momentum True Wireless 4 earlier this year. Plus, it’s already got the CX and CX Plus range for the entry level.
Apparently, the Accentum True Wireless will sit between those two offerings. Costing S$299, which isn’t cheap, the new earphones aim for a spot in the crowded segment between flagship (S$449 for the Momentum True Wireless 4) and budget (S$99 for the CX True Wireless).
The midrange segment is a tough market. In balancing price and features, Sennheiser can be seen as either half-empty or half-full. So, which is it?
Let’s start with the design. The earbuds themselves feel somewhat “regular”, in that they lack the metallic finish of the costlier Momentum True Wireless 4. Similarly, the somewhat prosaic plastic case reminds you this is a simpler, less fancy, option.
That said, the case is practical. Compact and easy to carry around, it fits right in a small bag or even trouser pocket, which is great when you’re boarding a plane or getting into a crowded train.
Another important feature on the Accentum True Wireless is the ergonomic shape of the earbuds. Said to be designed with Sennheiser’s parent company, Sonova, which makes hearing aids, they offer a great fit that also provides stability and comfort.
During a busy month of travels in June, I’ve put on the earbuds for hours during a red-eye flight or on a long train ride between cities and they’ve never felt fatiguing. Compared to the CX range, they feel a little more compact and comfortable.
Indeed, the new earbuds keep out background noise well with a tight seal. Together with the active noise cancelling turned on, this provides a good barrier from, say, airplane cabin noise or chatter in a busy cafe.
What about sound quality? Since these are a pair of Sennheisers, you don’t expect poor audio, and they do deliver.
Like their more expensive siblings, the Accentum True Wireless earbuds make use of Sennheiser’s common 7mm transducer as the foundation of their design. If you like the company’s sound signature, the new earbuds won’t disappoint.
The same air and transparency are apparent when you fire up the first track after putting the earbuds on. Instead of a cluttered, closed-in feeling, the Sennheiser earphones make your favourite music tracks open up in an unflustered manner.
Some of the moody, chillout music I listened to on long flights recently, from Beach House or Cigarettes After Sex, certainly felt easy to enjoy for hours.
That doesn’t mean the Accentum True Wireless are not great for those seeking a bit more audio quality. Listening to Jose James’ 1978 album, for example, you enjoy the detail, separation and precision in the tracks.
Instruments, from percussions to strings, and the vocals appear distinct and separate from one another, presenting a realistic and engaging image in your head.
I’d argue that the Accentum True Wireless are a bit of an upgrade over entry-level earphones that often present a clear, coherent sound image but don’t extract as much detail.
To be sure, the mid-range is also clearly presented by the new Sennheiser earphones. Vocals are intimate, especially in jazz performances such as a memorable rendition of Lover by Jeff Goldblum & the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra and Haley Reinhart.
In terms of dynamics, you’d expect a pair of Sennheisers to deliver as well. I fired up the Oppenheimer movie soundtrack, and the earphones could reach the highs and plummet quickly into the lows rather swiftly.
Only when it comes to bass, do you feel that the Accentum True Wireless should reach a little lower and extend further. It’s not a complaint since I’m not a bass lover – you can, of course, tune things with the excellent Sennheiser mobile app.
Notably, the new earbuds also support Bluetooth 5.3 and are capable of listening to Auracast streams, say, at cafes and museums.
Besides SBC and AAC codecs, they use aptX and LC3 to balance audio quality and battery life. No aptX Lossless here, which promises even better audio quality, as that remains exclusive on the Momentum True Wireless 4.
Perhaps more important for many users is that the Accentum True Wireless earphones promise eight hours of playback. That’s enough for a long flight from Singapore to most parts of Asia; if you’re going to Europe or the United States, the case juices things up for another 20 hours.
A big plus is the earphones and case charge up fast. Plug it into a fast-charging USB port and you can get an hour of playback from about 10 minutes of charging, according to Sennheiser.
To make things more convenient, the case also supports Qi wireless charging. If you’re juicing up your phone wirelessly, the earphones can be done the same way as well.
So, are the new earphones half empty or half full? Well, they certainly are a step up from the budget earphones that Sennheiser offers. Certainly, in terms of comfort and audio quality, that is clear.
In fact, I’d place the sound quality high up for many earphones in its S$299 category. The question is whether it is priced too close to the high-end S$400 segment, where the Momentum True Wireless 4 earphones reside.
As a consumer, I can’t complain about another great-sounding option in the Sennheiser lineup, one that is cheaper than the flagship model without some of the bells and whistles.
However, I’d also wish the Accentum True Wireless are priced, say, S$50 lower, so they are more attractive to folks who want an upgrade over the entry-level without paying so close to the top-end or “full fat” option.
